SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE -- “This is definitely a very shrewd power play,” said Jason McDaniel, an associate professor of Political Science at San Francisco State University. He saw the vote as a way to capitalize on deep divisions between the city’s moderates.

“I saw a faction (of moderates) that seemed to be surprised and unprepared for this,” McDaniel added. “If that’s the case, they should have been thinking about a next-best candidate if they didn’t have support for London Breed.”

If they manage to claim either the executive seat in the June election or legislative branch in November, the progressives could revive such issues as taxes for tech companies, which didn’t get a lot of traction this year with a moderate-majority board. They could also push for higher percentages of affordable housing in new developments.

“This goes beyond maneuvering against an opponent,” McDaniel said. “If they’re actually bringing on Farrell and Sheehy, that shows they’re building a new coalition that could govern the city. And that’s a big deal.”